The present invention pertains to a retaining clamp for alignment of risers when packing a parachute. It is well known to the persons knowledgeable in the pertinent arts that a skydiver's life and survival depend on correctly packing a parachute. One of the rules that must be strictly followed when packing a parachute is aligning the risers, i.e. the lines that attach the parachute canopy to the harness/container attached to the body of the skydiver. Proper alignment of risers is important for proper operation of the parachute during opening. If risers are not aligned properly during packaging, during opening the parachute may develop line twists and the opening will not be on heading. Line twists in high performance parachutes may result in the necessity off cutting away the main parachute and deploying the reserve.
Most modern parachutes employ the three-ring release assembly for cutting away the main parachute canopy in the event of malfunction before deploying the secondary parachute. The three-ring assembly reduces the pull force required to cut away the main parachute followed by deployment of the reserve parachute. The main parachute must be cut away before deploying the reserve parachute to avoid entanglement between the main and reserve parachutes.
The three-ring release assembly comprises three interlocking rings (the large, medium and small rings) which attach the risers (and the main canopy) to the harness/container. They can be rapidly disconnected in the event of a main parachute malfunction by way of pulling a cord. The large ring has a central bore, a tapered circumference and ring width which is usually uniform throughout the ring.
Conventionally, when packing a parachute, the risers are aligned by tying the large rings together with a ribbon or a rope. However, tying and untying a ribbon or rope can be time consuming and inconvenient.
What is needed is the simple and inexpensive device for alignment of risers when packing a parachute.